Sewing machine



Oct. 27, 1936. v G A E 2,058,635

SEWING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 27, 1936. G. SAUER 2,053,635

SEWING MACHINE 4 Filed Dec. 21, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 27, 1936. G, 'SAUER 2,058,635

. SEWING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet s v Qct.27,1936. A ER 2,058,635

SEWING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 27, 1936. "G. sAuER 2,058,635

' SEWING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2l, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 PATENT OFFIQE SEWING MACHINE George Sauer, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 758,667

11 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a sewing machine, and more particularly to a sewing machine for stitching a tubular article. In the patent granted Norman V.

5 Christensen and Frederick F. Zeier, March 25, 1930, No. 1,751,508, there is shown and described a machine for the edge stitching of a fabric wherein the moving parts of the feeding mechanism and the stitching mechanism are operated by direct connections to eccentric members mounted on the main actuating shaft located above the work support and extending in the general direction of the feed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the above type with a work supporting means which will permit small tubular articles to be presented to the stitching mechanism for stitching around the end thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type with means for infolding the edge of the tubular article so that a stitched hem may be form-ed which is stitched all the way around and closed.

These and other objects Will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure l is a side view of a machine embodying the invention, with the cover plates removed so as to show the main actuating shaft and the parts operated thereby;

Fig. 1a is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing only a portion of the machine on an enlarged scale, and also showing the hem folder as swung to inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the machine;

Fig. 2a is a detail showing the means for holding the hemmer in operative and also in inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View just above the plane of the throat plate and showing certain of the operating parts extending above the throat plate as removed from their connections;

Fig. 3a. is a detail showing the manner of offsetting the arm carried by the feed bar on which the feed dog is mounted;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view at right angles to the line of feed and through the bearings for the looper support, and showing the looper at the-forward end of its stroke, and

Fig. 5 is a detail in section showing a hem fold such as may be produced on this machine.

The invention is embodied in the type of machine illustrated in the Christensen and Zeier patent supra. In this type of machine, there is a supporting bed having a standard rising therefrom and extending above the throat plate and work support of the machine. This standard is provided with bearings in which is mounted the main actuating shaft. Said shaft is disposed so that it is located in rear of the stitching point and extends in the general direction of the line of feed. The supporting bed has been modified so as to provide a bracket in the form of an overhanging or suspended arm on which the throat plate is mounted and serves as a work support. The stitching mechanism includes a needle and a looper which cooperates with the needle beneath the throat plate. This looper, as illustrated, is a four-motion looper. It is mounted on a carrier which is oscillated, and the carrier in turn is mounted on a looper supporting shaft which is likewise oscillated for the purpose of giving a needle avoiding movement to the looper. Extending upwardly from the bed is a short standard in which the inner end of the looper support is mounted. The overhanging bracket carrying the throat plate extends over the carrier and at the outer end is a depending member in which the bearing for the outer end of the looper supporting shaft is mounted. By this arrangement, the looper supporting shaft and the looper carrier are suspended free from the bed so that the article being stitched may be fed across the. throat plate, thence downwardly and underneath the looper supporting shaft and the looper carrier and returned to the feed. This provides a work sup-port in which is mounted the looper around which a tubular article may pass during the stitching at the edge thereof. The feeding mechanism includes a feed bar located in rear of the stitching point, and carrying at its front end a feed dog which is spaced from the end of the feed bar so that the article being stitched may pass around the feed dog. The feed bar is moved up and down by a direct connection with the shaft and the feed rocker to which the feed bar is connected is also oscillated by a direct connection from said shaft. The needle is reciprocated by a direct connection from this shaft, and the looper is given its needle avoiding movement by a direct connection from said shaft. The looper is given its oscillations into and out of the needle loop by substantially direct connections from said shaft so thatpractically all of the moving parts of both the feeding mechanism and the stitching mechanism are actuated by direct connections with eccentrically disposed members on said main actuating shaft.

It is thought the invention will be better understood by a detail description of the illustrated embodiment thereof. The machine includes a supporting bed I carrying a standard 2 which extends above the throat plate and work support 3 of the machine. Mounted in this standard is the main actuating shaft 4. Said shaft is so disposed on the standard that it extends in the general direction of feed and is located in rear of the stitching point. The manner of positioning the shaft and the manner of mounting the same is fully disclosed in the Christensen and Zei-er patent. At the front of the standard is a laterally projecting portion which carries the bearing for the shaft and forms the support for the needle bar which is indicated at 5. Said needle bar is provided with a needle 6. The needle bar is recip-rocated by a link connection with a crank on the forward end of the shaft. Cooperating with the needle 6 beneath the work support is a looper I. Said looper I is a thread carrying looper, and it is mounted on the looper carrier 8 which in turn is mounted for oscillation on a stud 9 of the usual character, which stud is carried by a sleeve Ill fixed toa looper supporting shaft l I. The bed is provided with a short standard I2 which is located to the right of the throat plate 3, as shown in Fig. 4. This standard carries a bushing I3 which serves as a bearing for the inner end of the looper supporting shaft I I.

Attached to the bed I is a bracket I4. Said bracket is secured to the bed by suitable screws I5, I5. The bracket may be formed as one integral part of the bed, if desired. This bracket is provided with an overhanging or suspended arm I6. The arm has a rearwardly extending portion I! at the outer end thereof, and this rearwardly extending portion also extends downwardly as indicated at I8, and said downwardly extending portion is provided with a bushing I9 which serves as a bearing for the outer end of the looper supporting shaft II. This looper supporting shaft is held from endwise movement by the sleeve Ill located at one side of the bushing I9 and a collar 20 which is secured to the outer end of the shaft l I by means of set screws 2 I. It is noted that the depending portion IB is above the bed I and also that the bed I terminates short of the extent of the arm carrying this depending member I8, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This provides a clearance space beneath the looper carrier 8 and that portion of the sleeve It on which said carrier is mounted.

The looper supporting shaft II is oscillated for imparting needle avoiding movements to the looper by means of an arm 22 which carries a split collar clamped to the shaft I I by means of a screw 23. This arm 22 extends rearwardly from the looper supporting shaft II and is slotted as indicated at 24. A ball stud 25 is clamped to the end of the arm and may be shifted along the slot 24 to various set positions. A rod 26 is attached to this ball stud and to an eccentric strap at its upper end which cooperates with an eccentric member on the main shaft 4. As the main shaft rotates, it will through these direct connections with the shaft supporting the looper, impart oscillations thereto and give to the looper its needle avoiding movement.

The looper carrier is oscillated on its pivotal support by means of a link 27. Said link is pivoted to a ball stud 28 carried by the looper carrier 8, and to a ball stud 29 carried by an arm 3!} fixed to a shaft 3| mounted in suitable bearings carried by the bed of the machine. This link is adjustable for varying the working position of the looper in the usual manner. When the shaft 3I is oscillated, the looper will be moved into and out of the needle thread loop, and thus a line of stitches produced.

The shaft 3| carries an arm provided with a ball stud to which a rod 32 is connected. This rod 32 at its upper end is attached to an eccentric strap cooperating with an eccentric on the main shaft 4. Thus it is that the looper is oscillated positively into and out of. the needle thread loop by a substantially direct connection with an eccentric member on the main actuating shaft.

Rigidly secured to the bracket arm I6 and the rearwardly extending portion I I is a plate 33, and the throat plate 3 is secured to this supporting plate by suitable screws. Said plate 33 carries a laterally projecting arm 33a which extends alongside of the standard 2 and bears on a shoulder 33b formed on said standard. The throat plate forms practically the whole work supporting member, and the edge of the material being stitched is fed on to, across and off from the throat plate by a feed dog 34. Said throat plate has a needle slot 35 and slots for the feed dog which are shown at 36, 36. There is a slot for the feed dog at both sides of the needle slot and also in front and in rear thereof. The feed dog 34 is mounted on a shank 31 (see Fig. 1a), and this shank 31 is secured to an arm 38 by means of a screw 39. The arm 38 is attached to the front end of a feed bar 40 (see Fig. 3). This arm is located at the righthand side of the feed bar 40, and projects beyond the front end of the feed bar and beneath the throat plate. Said arm is laterally offset to the left as shown at M in Fig. 3a, and the shank of the. feed bar is attached to the offset portion so that. there is a direct support for the feed dog on this arm, substantially beneath the line of stitching. The portion of the arm, however, which is offset is spaced away from the end of the feed bar sufficiently so that the fabric edge being stitched may pass down through the space between the end of. the feed bar and this offset portion of the arm, and thence down underneath the bracket arm and the looper carrier. This permits the edge which is being stitched to move in aplane containing the needle and to be fed to and away from the stitching mechanism and around the arm so as to pass again to the stitching mechanism without any deflection from its plane ofmovement. By this arrangement, the tubular member being stitched may be very small, and may be fed at very high speed to the stitching mechanism.

The arm 38 carrying the feed dog is mounted on the shank of the ball stud 42 and is held in a fixed position thereon by a clamping bolt 43 passing through a slot 44 in the end of the arm.

A rod 45 is connected to this ball stud 42 and said rod, at its upper end is attached to an eccentric strap cooperating with an eccentric on the main shaft 4. Thus it is that the feed bar is positively raised and lowered through a direct connection with the eccentric member on the main shaft. The feed bar, at its rear end, is pivotally connected to a feed rocker 46 mounted for oscillation on a suitable supporting rod carried in bearings formed as a part of the supporting bed I. The feed rocker has a forwardly projecting arm 41 which is slotted, and adjustably mounted in the slot of said arm is a ball stud 48.

A rod 49 is connected to said ball stud at its lower end and to an eccentric strap at its upper end which cooperates with an eccentric strap on the main actuating shaft 4. Thus it is that the feed rocker is positively oscillated by a direct connection with the eccentric member on the main actuating shaft.

A machine has thus been constructed which is especially adapted for the edge stitching of a small, tubular article, and wherein all of the moving parts of both the feeding mechanism and the stitchingv mechanism are actuated through substantially direct connections with the main actuating shaft. This reduces the number of operating parts and contributes to a high speed machine which may be utilized for the edge stitching of tubular articles. Without changing the feed of the supporting means for the fabric, which enables a small tubular article to be passed around the throat plate, the stitching mechanism may, of course, be changed for other types of stitching without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The preferred use of the machine is for the stitching of a hem in a tubular article, such as the sleeves or trouser legs of garments. In order to accomplish this result, a guiding means has been provided for the edge of the fabric which inturns the edge as it is directed to the stitching mechanism and thus produces a hem for stitchmg.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, a small portion of the fabric is indicated at F. The edge is inturned as indicated at f, and the inturned edge is again inturned as indicated at f, and a line of stitching s passes through the inturned portions f and f and the main fabric section, thus securing and completing the hem. The hemmer, as shown in the drawings, includes a base member 5.0. which is mounted on a shaft 5|. This shaft is in turn mounted for oscillation in a bracket 52 which is rigidly attached to the bed of the machine. Mounted on this base member 50 is a plate 53. Slidably mounted on this plate 53 is a fabric guiding member 54 carrying one member of the hem turning scroll 55. A rod 56 is attached to the member carrying the fabric guiding member 54. This rod extends through a lug 51, and a spring 58 hearing against an adjustable sleeve 59 on the rod tends to move the fabric guiding member and the scroll part 55 to the right, and to the position shown in Fig. 1. The other portion of the scroll member 60 is carried by a shank 6| which is adjustably secured to the plate 53 by means of screws 62, 62. The plate 53 is adjustably secured to the base member 50 by means of screws 63, 63. By loosening the screws 63, 63, the whole attachment can be shifted either to the right or left, and by loosening the screws 62, 62, the scroll member 60 can be shifted to the right or left and fixed in a set position. The fabric passing up over the guiding member 54 will be turned downwardly and rearwardly, thence upwardly, so as to lay the fabric edge as indicated in Fig. 5. This directs the inturned fabric portion so that the line of stitching passes therethrough as indicated in this figure. When the hem in a circular article is nearing its completion, then the operator by pressing on the sleeve 59 will move the rod 56 so as to withdraw the scroll member 55 from the path of movement of the initially formed stitches, and thus permit the completing of the circular hem. This type of hem folder for circular hem stitching per se, forms no part of the present invention.

In order that the hem folder may be readily andquickly turned to an inoperative position to give better access to the stitching mechanism and to. the looper for threading, or to permit stitching without any hem fold, said base member 58 is held in operative position by means of a spring 54 which is attached to an abutment pin 65 at one end, and to a pin 66 at the other end.

pin 66 is carried by an arm 61 which is eccentrically set relative to the axis of the shaft 5!. The spring will either hold the hem folder in operative position with the base member in contact with the bracket supporting the throat plate, or with the base member in contact with the bracket supporting the hem folder.

From the above it will be apparent that a machine of the type shown in the Christensen and Zeier patent has been created whereby a tubular article may be stitched and a hem formed thereon. This has all been accomplished without sacrificing the advantages which flow from this type of machine.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, a stitching mechanism and a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed. bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support and spaced from said feed bar, a member supported by said feed bar and carrying said feed dog, said member and said overhanging bracket arm being so constructed as to permit the edge portion of the fabric being stitched to pass about the work sup-port with the edge thereof moving substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, a stitching mechanism and a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support, a member secured to the side face of said feed bar and projecting forwardly in front of the same and beneath the work support, a feed dog carried by said member, said member having an offset portion spaced away from the end of the feed bar so as to permit the edge portion of the fabric being stitched to pass through said space and move about the work support with the edge thereof substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, stitching mechanism including a looper, a looper carrier, a looper support, a bearing for said looper support at the outer end of said overhanging bracket arm, and a bearing for the other end of said looper support carried by the bed, and a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support and spaced from said feed bar, and a member supported by the feed bar and carrying said feed dog.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, stitching mechanism including a looper, a looper carrier, a looper support, a bearing for said looper support at the outer end of said overhanging bracket arm, a bearing for the other end of said looper support carried by the bed, a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support, and a member supported by the feed bar and carrying said feed dog, said member projecting forwardly from said feed bar and having an offset portion spaced from the end of the feed bar so as to permit the edge portion of the fabric being stitched to pass about the work support with the edge thereof moving substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried by said bed, a work support mounted on said arm, a standard carried by said bed and extending above said work support, a main actuating shaft mounted on said standard and extending in the general direction of the line of feed, a needle bar carried by the standard, a needle carried thereby, means for actuating said needle bar from said shaft, a feed bar located wholly in rear of said work support, means actuated by said shaft for reciprocating said feed bar, means actuated by said shaft for raising and lowering the feed bar, a feed dog located wholly beneath the work support, means carried by the feed bar and extending beneath said work support for supporting said feed dog, a complemental stitch forming mechanism disposed in said overhanging bracket arm, means operated by said main shaft for imparting movement to the complemental stitch forming mechanism, said feed dog supporting means and said bracket arm being so constructed and disposed relative to said needle as to permit the free edge of the fabric being stitched to pass about the work support with the edge thereof moving substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, at the outer end thereof, a standard mounted on said bed independently of said arm and extending above said work support, a main actuating shaft carried by said standard and extending in the general direction of the line of feed, a needle bar mounted on said standard and actuated by said shaft, a needle carried thereby, a looper cooperating with said needle, a looper carrier on which said looper is mounted, a looper supporting shaft on which said carrier is mounted, said looper supporting shaft having a bearing in the outer end of said overhanging bracket arm, means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating said looper supporting shaft, and means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating the carrier for the looper.

'7. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, at the outer end thereof, a standard mounted on said bed independently of said arm and extending above said work support, a main actuating shaft carried by said standard and extending in the general direction of the line of feed, a needle bar mounted on said standard and actuated by said shaft. a needle carried thereby, a looper cooperating with said needle, a looper carrier on which said looper is mounted, a looper supporting shaft on which said carrier is mounted, said looper supporting shaft having a bearing in the outer end of said overhanging bracket arm, means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating said looper supporting shaft, means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating the carrier for the looper, a feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of said work support, a feed dog beneath the work support, means carried by the feed bar and projecting beneath the work support on which said feed dog is mounted, said means for supporting the feed dog and said bracket arm being so constructed as to permit the free edge portion of the fabric being stitched to pass about the work support with the edge thereof moving substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, at the outer end thereof, a standard mounted on said bed independently of said arm and extending above said work support, a main actuating shaft carried by said standard and extending in the general direction of the line of feed, a needle bar mounted on said standard and actuated by said shaft, a needle carried thereby, a looper cooperating with said needle, a looper carrier on which said looper is mounted, a looper supporting shaft on which said carrier is mounted, said looper supporting shaft having a bearing in the outer end of said overhanging bracket arm, means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating said looper supporting shaft, means operated by said main actuating shaft for oscillating the carrier for the looper, a feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support, a feed rocker to which said feed bar is pivoted, an eccentric member on said main actuating shaft, an eccentric strap cooperating therewith and connected directly to said feed rocker for oscillating said feed rocker, a second eccentric on said main actuating shaft, a second eccentric strap cooperating therewith and connected directly to the feed bar for raising and lowering the same, a feed dog located beneath the work support, an arm attached to one side of the feed bar and projecting beneath the work support and carrying said feed dog, said arm having a lateral offset therein spaced from the end of the feed bar so as to permit the edge portion of the fabric being stitched to pass about the work support and through the space between the feed dog and the feed bar whereby the edge of the fabric is permitted to move substantially in a vertical plane parallel with the line of feed.

9. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, a stitching mechanism and a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support, a member supported by said feed bar and carrying said feed dog, said member being constructed so as to provide a space between the end of the feed bar and the feed dog through which the fabric may pass while stitching, an edge guiding means for inturning the edge of the fabric being stitched, and means for mounting said edge guiding means on said bracket arm so that the circular fabric being stitched may pass about the arm and into said edge guiding means.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination of a bed, an overhanging bracket arm carried thereby, a work support mounted on said arm, a stitching mechanism and a feeding mechanism, said feeding mechanism including a feed bar located wholly in rear of the work support and parallel with the line of feed, a feed dog located beneath the work support, a member supported by said feed bar and carrying said feed dog, said member being constructed so as to provide a space between the end of the feed bar and the feed dog through which the fabric may pass while stitching, an edge guiding means for inturning the edge of the fabric being stitched, means for mounting said edge guiding means on said bracket arm so that the circular fabric being stitched may pass about the arm and into said edge guiding means, said edge guiding means including a scroll member for underturning the edge of the inturned portion of the fabric, and means for supporting said scroll whereby it may be withdrawn for completing the circular hem.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination of a frame comprising a bed portion, a standard rising from one side of said bed and supporting a rotatable main shaft with its axis disposed in a vertical plane extending in the general direction of feed, aneedle and actuating devices therefor connected to said shaft, a bracket member carried by and overhanging said bed, a work support mounted on said bracket member and extending laterally of the line of feed, a feed dog operating to feed work across said work support, complemental stitch forming devices co-operating with said needle and supported by said bracket member beneath the plane of said work support, and means for actuating said feed dog and complemental stitch forming devices from said main shaft.

GEORGE SAUER. 

